East Stirlingshire 1
Clydebank 5
League (Division 2)

Match Report

East Stirling cannot dispute the outcome. Despite having as many opportunities as Clydebank, they failed to convert them into goals. Clydebank exhibited fast, precise football and scored five remarkable goals. Their first came from a deceptive McCallum lob which eluded Davie.

Inside left Moy, Clydebank's standout player, scored a tremendous hat-trick. His first goal came in the 34th minute. Then he stunned Shire by netting again seconds after the interval, and he completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute. Russell scored the fifth goal for Clydebank.

Shire's solitary goal was scored by Mitchell just before half-time. Carlyle substituted for Gillespie, who was stretchered off with a leg injury.

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How the other side saw it
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The eagerly anticipated clash between Shire and Clydebank at Firs Park last Saturday ended disappointingly as the Steedman Brothers' new team from Kilbowie Park delivered a footballing masterclass in finishing to the Firs Parkers.

This was the game that 'Shire desperately wanted to win, yet they arguably displayed their worst finishing of the season, squandering numerous chances that could have kept them in contention.

In the second minute, Arthur Hamill broke through on an open goal – only to shoot directly at goalkeeper McLachlan. Bobby Jones had a similar opportunity but aimed too straight, with the ball striking the keeper's foot and spinning to safety. However, the biggest missed opportunity came from centre-for-the-day Tom Reynolds, who failed to convert two absolute sitters.

In contrast, the Bankies showed a knack for seizing chances out of thin air. Undoubtedly, their star performer was Tony Moy, a hard-hitting inside-left who secured a superb hat-trick. Left-winger McCallum posed another threat, and supported by Russell and McGhee, they formed a left-wing attack that 'Shire struggled to contain.

McCallum put Bankies ahead after 14 minutes with a swerving 22-yarder that rattled the 'Shire. Moy doubled the lead 20 minutes later, catching the entire home defence off guard with an angular shot that found the net via the foot of the upright.

Although Mitchell reduced the deficit seconds before half-time, any hopes of a second-half revival were dashed when Moy swiftly fired home a third for Clydebank right from the restart.

Meanwhile, 'Shire continued to squander chances, with Moy adding insult to injury by scoring again in the 66th minute, followed by Russell netting a 25-yarder five minutes later – a shot that a better-positioned Davie might have saved.

Amidst the disappointment, Pat Waters made commendable efforts to ignite his shot-shy attack, but it was a fruitless endeavour.

Jim Gillespie sustained a leg injury in the 65th minute and was replaced by Wattie Carlyle, but this change failed to significantly alter the course of the game.